Release device for gripping tools



April 2,1957 M. L. STEELE RELEASE DEVICE FOR GRIPPING TOOLS Filed Nov. 17 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Myra L. 52226 /c,

ATTORNEY E April 2, 1957 Filed Nov. 17, 1954 M. L. STEELE RELEASE DEVICE FOR GRIPPING TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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fdyrel United States Patent RELEASE DEVICE FOR GRIPPING TOOLS Myra L. Steele, Wichita, Kans.

Application November 17, 1954, Serial No. 469,441

1 Claim. (Cl. 81370) My invention relates to an improvement in release means for gripping tools.- The tool referred to is a tool for gripping and holding work for various reasons and is commonly called or is known as a vise grip.

The vise grip tool is a highly eflicient and handy tool and is found in the majority of the mechanics tool kits. The vise grip has the characteristic of tightly gripping and holding the work as a result of squeezing the handles of the tool toward each other, whereupon the handles lock in their closed position but can be released by pulling the handles apart. Due to the tightness of the tool on the work, it is hard to pull the handles apart and sometimes the handles have to even be pried apart, at best it is a difficult job to separate the handles and frequently results in skinning the mechanics finger, knuckles or otherwise damaging his hands, which of course, is an objectionable feature of the tool.

In view of this objectionable feature of the tool I have provided a release device for the tool handles that is easy and safe to use. The release device is simple in construction, inexpensive to make and is easy to operate and is fast in its operation. These and other objects of the invention will be more fully described as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which my invention is shown and in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the vise grip tool and showing my improved release device applied thereto, a part of the handles of the tool being broken away for convenience of illustration. The tool is shown in its closed position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tool and release device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the tool and release device therefor, the tool being shown in its closed position and its open and released position is shown in dotted lines.

In {the drawings is shown the conventional vise grip which consists of a pair of gripping jaw elements and 11.

The lower jaw 11 is integrally formed on the forward or outer end of a channel shaped handle element 12. The upper jaw element 10 is integrally formed on the outer end of one head of a T-shaped rocker element 13 and the lower end of the vertical leg of the T 13 is positioned between the forward portion of the legs of the channel handle element 12 and is positionally mounted therebetween on a pivot pin 14 that passes through the channel legs of the handle element 12 and the lower end of the vertical leg of the T-shaped rocker element 13 so as to rockably hold the jaw 10 in adjusted positions over the jaw 11.

The tool is provided with a second or upper channel shaped handle element 16, the forward or outer end portion of which has had the web portion of the channel removed and thereby leaves the outer ends of the channel legs to extend as a pair of spaced apart and parallelly 2,787,182 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 "ice positioned ears between which is positioned the other end of the cross head portion of the T-shaped rocker element 13 .and a pivot pin 15 passes through the legs of the channel handle element 16 and the end of the cross head of the T-shaped rocker element between the legs of the channel shaped handle element 16.

The tool is further provided with a helical tension spring 17, one end of which is attached at 18 and the other end of which is attached to the lower channel shaped handle element 12 at the point 19 so as to yieldably dock the rocker element 13 rearwardly.

The tool is further provided with an adjusting screw 20 that is threaded in the rear end of the lower handle element 12 to move longitudinally forwardly or rearwardly therein. The forward end of the screw 20 is provided with a forwardly extending round nosed pin element 21 that is seated in and bears in an L-shaped notch 22 that is formed in the rear end of a toggle link 23, the front end of which is positioned between the legs of the channel handle element 16 and a pivot pin 24 passes through the channel legs of the upper handle element 16 and the forward end of the toggle link 23 for the pivotal mounting of, and the connection of the toggle link 23 to the upper handle element 16, so that the screwing of the adjusting screw forwards or backwards will advance or retract the upper handle element 16 to rock the T-shaped rocker element 13 forward or backward which in turn adjusts the relative spaced position of the gripping jaws 10 and 11.

Now when a piece of work 25 is placed between the jaws 1G and 1 1 and the handles 12 and 1.6 are squeezed together, the toggle link pivotal point 24 will move past an axis line passing through the pivotal point 15 and the bearing point of the pin 21 in the L-shaped notch 22 and the tool is then locked in its closed position and to unlock the tool to remove it from the work 25 the pivotal point 24 must be moved again across the axis line passing through the pivotal point 15 and the hear ing point of the pin 22. This is normally done by merely forcing the handle elements 12 and 16 apart, and of course there is resistance to this action which makes it hard to separate the handles 12 and 16 and when they do separate they usually jump with force and strike the Inechanics fingers or knuckles, etc.

The foregoing description is that of the tool as it is now made and its operation.

My improved release device does not change the structure of the tool in the least, but is merely an addition to the tool and can be embodied in such tools in their course of manufacture, or can even be applied to old tools already in use.

The release device consists simply of substantially question mark shaped element R laid over on its front face. The piece R of course consists of the U-shaped portion 26, and the straight leg 27. The U-shaped portion 26 being positioned above the handle 16 and the vertical portions of the U-shaped portion 26 passing through holes 28 and 29 as shown at 26 and the lower end of the forward leg of the U-shaped element 26 is enlarged to prevent the forward leg of the U-shaped element 26 from withdrawing from the handle 16 and through the hole 28 and the straight leg 27 is positioned within the channel of the upper handle 16 and over the central portion of the toggle link 23 so that the forward end of the straight leg 27 bears against the toggle link 23 and the rear end of the straight leg 27 is pivotally mounted on a pivotpin 30 that passes through the channel legs of the handle element 16 and the rear end portion of the straight leg 27.

The operation of the release device is as follows:

As the handles 12 and 16 are squeezed together, the toggle link 23 will engage the forward end of the straight leg 27 and rock the release element R upwardly to the position'shown in Figs. '1 and 3, whereuponthe tool is in a locked position on the Work 25.

Now to release the tool from the work 25, the release element R is pressed downwardly to-the dot-ted position R, whereupon the forward end of the-straight leg 27 engages the toggle link 23 and presses downwardly thereon. Pressure of straight leg 27 on toggle link 23 forces handle 16 in an upward direction past dead center and in turn releases jaws iii and 11- from the work piece 25.

Figs. 3 and 1 show clearly in dotted lines how the forward end of R is pressed down rocking rear pivot portion 30 upward and in turn forcing handle 16- upward to release the jaws wand 11 from the work piece 25.

While the tool release device and its application to the tool as shown and described may be the preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that such modifications of the invcntioi as lie Within the scope of the appended claim may be employed without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

In a gripping tool and release device therefor, having a pair-of cooperatingfixed and pivoted jaws'and' relatively fixed and pivoted handles connected to the jaws, a plurality of toggle elements interconnected with the handles, movable by the handles to move the jaws into engagement with a workpiece, a U-shaped release lever having its leg portions extended through apertures provided in the pivoted handle, with one of its leg portions extended parallel do the pivoted handle and pivotally mounted thereon, inposition to engage a toggle element when the lever is depressed inwardly.

References: Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,443,153 Wells June 8, 1948 2,462,709 Ball Feb. 22, 1949 2,576,286 Eisenberg Nov. 27, 1951 2,604,803 McCann 'J'Llly 29, 1952 2,669,145 Mead Feb. 16, 1954 

